parker



(No Model.) 2 lSheets--Sheet 1.

- H. F. PARKER. VBNTILATING CUSHION PoR SHOES, am.

No. 592,822. Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

1H: Nonms PETERS w.. Pnomuso., wAsHlNaYoN, cV

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H. I'. PARKER.. i VBNTILATING CUSHION FOR SHOES, am.

Patented Nov.. 2, 1897i INVEN 70H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. PARKER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO THE JAMES-BEAM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VENTILATING-CUSHION-FOR SHOES, 84C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,822, dated November2, 189'7.

Apphcation led March 6, 1897. Serial'lil'o.V 626,248. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY F. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State f New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ventilating-Cushions for Shoes, &c., of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to an improved article of manufacture adapted asaventilatingcushion for shoes and other purposes, and said inventionalso relates to a certain novel combination of said cushion with othermaterials and with other features of construction in a shoe, as will behereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention in the adaptation of the improved article toa shoe is to form a cushion of india-rubber or other elastic materialwhich will extend across the entire width of the foot between the welts,but form air-ducts when interposed between contiguous surfaces, whichwill conduct the air both lengthwise and crosswise of the shoe anddistribute it universally and uniformly, avoiding the necessity ofreducing the area of the cushion to form longitudinal channels, asheretofore, which reduction is liable to present an uneven insole.

The object is, moreover, to obtain a cushion structure which willofferai r-passages at rightangular directions without interrupting thecontinuous ridges of the corrugations which are necessary to support theyielding contiguous surfaces so that they `will not lill up theair-spaces when the sole is subjected to the pressure of the foot inwalking. Felt insoles may thereby be used in conjunction with theimproved cushion, which will insure supply of air to all parts of thefelt.

The object is alsoto produce a Ventilatingcushion which will bend withequal elasticity in all directions and in which the numerousair-channels will not weaken the structure.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

,Figure l is a bottom plan view of the shoe with the sole removed,showing the welt, the

cushion, and the'insole. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at ww, Fig. l;and Fig. 3 is a cross-section at y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a surface view,partly reversed, of the improved in the formation of the surfaceswhereon cor- 'rugations 2 on one side run at right angles l(or at othersuitable angles) to corrugations 3 on the other side, and perforations 4are provided at the intersections of the grooves, so adapted that whenthe sheet is interposed between contiguous surfaces each groove runningin one direction will communicate with the grooves running in the otherdirection, forming distributing passage-ways universally connecting allparts of the surfaces with any given source or point of air-supply. Thisis accomplished without interrupting the continuity of the ridges of thecorrugations at 5 5 and 6 6, which support the contiguous surfaces,as-could not be effectually done were the two angular series of channelsformed on one side of the cushion.

The series of ridges 5 5, running crosswise of the ridges 6 6, connectand brace each other securely, forming a grating which cannot be readilybroken, but which will yield easily to fleXure in all directions.

The sheet may be reinforced with a canvas layer 7, interposedintermediately, as indicated at the left-hand portions of Figs. 5 and 6,if desired.

The sheet may be molded to any convenient marketable size and cut bymeans of dies or otherwise to the shapes required.

In its application to a shoe-cushion the elastic material A isinterposed between the sole B and the insole O, Figs. l, 2, and 3, andthe material A is cut to iit and abut against the inner edge of the weltD, so as to extend as nearly as possible the entire width of the shoe,thus cushioning the full tread of the foot.

The air is supplied and allowed to circulate freely in and out throughthe tube E by the movement of the foot in walking, and it is desired tosecure proper communication of the air from said tube or source ofsupply to all parts of the perforated insole C, which has perforations 8generally distributed throughout its surface.

The first feature essential loo to this distribution is the formation oflongitudinal channels whereby the air is conveyed from the tube E at thecounter to the toe. For this purpose the cushion A and also the cushionA are inserted so that the corrugated channels 3 3 run lengthwise of thesole B contiguous thereto and form ducts for the passage of the airalong the length of the shoe, and the corrugated channels 2 2 extendcross- Wise of the insole C contiguous thereto and formdistributing-ducts communicating with the ducts 3 by means ofA theperforations 4.

At the shank of the sole the cushion may of course be omitted, channelsF F being left at each side of the shank-strip G between the sole andinsole. The ducts 3 3 therefore serve as conduits for pumping the airthrough the length of the shoe, and the duets 2 2 serve to distributethe air crosswise and equally to all parts of the shoe.

The cushion thus formed for universal distribution of air is especiallyadapted for combination with a felt insole C, which is porous and willpass the air fed to it and keep the feet dry, and the continuity of theridges 5 5 will keep the felt from sinking into the channels 2 2, so asto obstruct them.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. As an article of manufacture, a sheet of elastic material havingcorrugations on one side running at angles to corrugations on the otherside and having perforations at the intersections of the grooves.

2. As an article of manufacture, an elastic ven tilating-sheet of rubberhaving a series of corrugations on each surface, the one seriesextending in a direction at right angles or substantially so to theother, and having perforations at the crossings of the grooves bctweenthe corrugations, so adapted that when the sheet is interposed betweencontiguous surfaces, each groove running in one direction willcommunicate with grooves running in the other direction, forminguniversally-communicating ducts.

3. In a shoe, the combination with a sole, insole, welt, and upper, ofaventilating-cushion composed of elasticmaterial interposed between thesole and insole and having series of corrugations extending in differentdirections on its respective surfaces, and provided with perforationswhereby the ducts formed by said corrugations adjacent to the sole andinsole communicate with one another.

4. In a shoe, the combination with a sole, insole, Welt, and upper, of aVentilating-cushion interposed between the sole and insole and havingseries of corrugations extending in different directions on itsrespective surfaces, and perforated as described; said cushion extendingfrom the inner edge ofthe welt on one side of the shoe fully across tothe inner edge of the opposite welt, substantially as shown.

5. In a shoe, the combination with the sole, of a Ventilating rubbercushion having longitudinal corrugations adjacent to the sole, andhaving closely-arranged transverse corrugations on its upper surface andperforated as described, and a felt insole resting on said upper surfaceof The cushion, adapted as described.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 5th day of March, A. D. 1897.

HENRY F. PARKER.

Witnesses:

EDWIN L. KERR, HARRY F. NOAH.

